The dust is settling in the NFL’s 2021 free agency period. How NFC East is preparing for the new season.
Some players have been hired, others have been rehired and many remain in the market. The NFL’s free agency 2021 period is already underway, but since more than a week has passed since the “legal adulteration” period began, the dust is officially settling.
A number of moves were made at NFC East – most notably the rehiring of Giants defense team star Leonard Williams, along with the lucrative four-year extension of Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (which actually occurred before the free agency).
The four teams at NFC East look slightly different than before. How do divisional power ratings shape with off-season progress?
1. Dallas Cowboys
The Giants have arguably been the most brilliant team in the division at this free agency, having made a series of moves to improve the level of talent within and around the squad. However, Dak Prescott’s pending return makes this Cowboys team the favorite to win the NFC East.
Of course, Prescott is the biggest signal caller in the division. Even coming out of an exposed fracture at the end of the season and dislocation of his right ankle, no one is comparing the twice Pro Bowler with Daniel Jones, Taylor Heinicke, Ryan Fitzpatrick or Jalen Hurts. He is the best quarterback on NFC East and is nowhere near – a big reason why Dallas is at the top of the power rankings.
The Cowboys also added a safety talent to Keanu Neal, who met with former Falcons coach and current Cowboys defensive coordinator, Dan Quinn. Neal won a trip to the Pro Bowl in 2017 while with Quinn and proved to be an extremely physical and aggressive security guard, having recorded at least 100 combined tackles in three of his five seasons so far.
Injuries are a problem – Neal played in four combined games in the 2018 and 2019 seasons.
Additional moves on the defensive side of the ball include the acquisition of former Jets external linebacker Tarell Basham and former Texas defensive player Carlos Watkins, both of whom are expected to bring remarkable levels of production to the top seven in deals short term. The Cowboys certainly need defensive help after finishing 23rd in yards and 28th in points allowed last season.
The intriguing storyline for the Cowboys will be whether their offensive unit continues where it left off when Dak suffered his injury in week 5 of 2020. Dallas averaged more than 30 points per game in the four completed fights Prescott was healthy in last year.
2. New York giants
Don’t sleep with this Giants team in 2021. Of course, New York won just six games last season and the only reason to almost make it into the postseason was because all the other NFC East teams seemed to have the same problem at times.
But the moves Big Blue has made so far in the off season cannot be overlooked and, as mentioned earlier, have increased the level of talent in the squad.
The Giants had two main priorities in this free agency period: re-signing with Leonard Williams and acquiring a # 1 wide receiver. They got both, signing a new three-year, $ 63 million deal with Williams and bringing Kenny Golladay in a four-year contract with $ 72 million.
You could argue that the Giants ‘third most important priority was getting a talented corner to act alongside James Bradberry, and they did that on Monday with the acquisition of Adoree’ Jackson on a three-year contract.
Additional hires include wide receiver John Ross, as well as defensive tip Ifeadi Odenigbo, which should add depth to both groups.
General manager Dave Gettleman did a great job putting the pieces together this offseason. Now, there are no excuses for Daniel Jones or the team itself – it’s time to win games.
3. Washington Football Team
Washington is a good team that is on the right track … except that it apparently does not have a long-term plan in the position of defender. The defense is excellent, Ron Rivera is an excellent coach and the organization employs productive offensive weapons on wide receiver Terry McLaurin and tight end Logan Thomas.
The football team also made notable acquisitions in this period of free agency with the hiring of wide receiver Curtis Samuel and cornerback William Jackson, the latter of which allowed opposing defenders to complete only 51.4% of the pitches for a rating of passer of 88.2 last year.
But the problem is uncertainty about the defender’s position. Ryan Fitzpatrick is going to win a few games here and there, but Washington needs to make a move for a long-term response there, and that should happen sooner or later.
There is a small chance that the football team could still switch to someone like Sam Darnold if the Jets choose BYU quarterback Zach Wilson. However, the legitimate chances of this occurring are not confirmed.
4. Philadelphia Eagles
It is surprising to see how things have changed in Philadelphia. Just three years ago, the Eagles were celebrating their first Super Bowl title. Now, they are coming out of a season of four wins, in which they finished last at NFC East, and it is not clear whether they will improve in 2021.
No one knows whether Jalen Hurts will be the successful starting quarterback that Philly expects him to be. It is also unclear what you will get out of coach Nick Sirianni for the first time, who was previously the offensive coordinator for Colts.
Hiring in the free agency period this year should help the dance club, but none of them are big moves. Safety Anthony Harris (one year, $ 5 million) will fit well with talented cornerback Darius Slay, while safety Andrew Adams will be a piece of depth. However, this organization is still not giving fans or outsiders much confidence in what it can bring to the field in 2021.
Things can change when the draft occurs. Perhaps Philly finds himself in the quarterback market with general selection No. 6 or adds a talented offensive weapon, like Florida’s tight end, Kyle Pitts.
